The reason Reds need to call up Mike Ford is not what fans might expect

The Reds have had major struggles in this one area.

Drew Koch

Cincinnati Reds designated hitter Mike Ford / Chris Coduto/GettyImages

Mike Ford has opted out of his contract with the Cincinnati Reds. But what does that mean? The Reds now have a specific amount of time (reportedly a couple of days) to either select Ford's contract and add him to the active roster, or release him.

Most Reds fans are of the opinion that Ford should be added to the roster. The Reds have been without Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Tyler Stephenson for the past several games, and Nick Martini has not been the same player that he was during opening weekend.

While adding Ford's bat to the Reds roster would certainly bring some thump to the middle of David Bell's lineup, there's one area that the slugger could really help to elevate, and most fans are probably unaware of it.

Reds slugger Mike Ford has crushed left-handed pitching

Ford is a left-handed hitter with reverse splits. Typically, left-handed batters struggle against left-handed pitchers. That's why Reds fans oftentimes see Bell load up with right-handed bats when a left-hander is on the mound. But Ford's numbers are the exact opposite.

Mike Ford has opted out of his contract with Reds. The Reds have a couple days to decide whether to add or release him.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) May 1, 2024

Ford, who's spent five seasons in the major leagues with five different organizations, has hit .268/.343/.577 off southpaws during his career. Compare that to his .200/.303/.389 slash line against right-handers. This season at Triple-A Louisville has been no different. Ford is hitting .370/.485/.778 against left-handed pitchers while his numbers against right-handers dips to .266/.333/.438.

Ford would no doubt be a platoon player in the Reds lineup, but with Will Benson, Jake Fraley, Elly De La Cruz, and Jeimer Candelario all hitting from the left-side against right-handed pitching, Cincinnati has enough bats to offset Ford's presence on the roster.

The Reds have struggled against lefties this season, and Martini has no business on the team right now. The Reds could option Martini back to the minors, select Ford's contract, and designate one of the club's marginal players for assignment.

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Drew Koch

Drew Koch has been an MLB Staff Writer since January 2024 and part of the FanSided Network since June 2018. Drew's contributions have been published on Blog Red Machine, Friars on Base, BoSox Injection, Lombardi Avenue, Wildcat Blue Nation, Motor City Bengals, and many other sites within the FanSided Network. When he's not cheering wildly for the Cincinnati Reds or the Kentucky Wildcats, Drew enjoys fishing, golfing, playing cribbage and other card games, listening to country and classical music, and spending time with his family and friends.